aDayinDouro · From Porto
This day trip pairs two wine regions: a morning in Amarante, in the Vinho Verde country, then lunch and a tasting at a family winery in the Douro and a one-hour private boat on the river. WSET-certified guides run it, and hotel pickup is included.
aDayinDouro collects you from your hotel in Porto and heads east. The first stop is Amarante, a town on the Tâmega river with an 18th-century bridge. Amarante sits in the Vinho Verde region, not the Douro: the listing says so, and it is a bonus rather than a detour. You get a guided visit, a wine and food tasting and a plate of regional food, about an hour in all.
Then the van climbs into the Douro proper for the long middle of the day: 2.5 hours of lunch, a guided visit and a tasting at a second family-run winery. A guest describes it as overlooking the valley and the river. The listing counts 10 tastings across the day, from dry DOC wines to a Vintage Port opened with hot Port tongs, plus an olive oil tasting and a glass of Douro firewater. The chef's meal comes as brunch, lunch or dinner depending on your option, with vegetarian and gluten-free versions.
The boat is the part that sets this tour apart. It is a one-hour private cruise with a guide and drinks, so you are not sharing a deck with other groups. It runs in the valley, not from Porto. The catch is the length of the day: 9 to 10 hours, with the road time that any Douro day trip carries. The two wineries are not named in the listing.
Hotel pickup, or meet at Teatro Sá da Bandeira, then the drive east in an air-conditioned van.
A guided visit in Amarante, a wine and food tasting and regional food at the first family winery.
The chef's meal, a guided tour and a tasting at the second family-run winery in the Douro Valley, with the Vintage Port opened by fire.
A private hour on the Douro with a guide and drinks on board.
The drive back west to Teatro Sá da Bandeira or your hotel.
★★★★★The second winery was in the Douro valley at a fabulous location, overlooking the valley and river Douro.
★★★★★Might be the highlight of our Portugal trip!
★★★★★For lovers of wine and beautiful Douro valley scenery this tour is a must!
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No. Amarante is in the Vinho Verde region, on the Tâmega river. This tour visits it on purpose, as the first of its two regions, before moving on to a winery in the Douro.
No. The listing says the cruise is in the valley, not a transfer from Porto. It is a private one-hour trip with a guide and drinks, and the van takes you there and back.
The listing gives 9 to 10 hours but no drive times; expect about 3 to 3.5 hours on the road, as on similar days from Porto. Our day-trip guide explains the road time.
The listing marks it as not suitable for children under 10. It is also not suitable for wheelchair users.
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Hotel pickup in Porto, two family wineries in two wine regions, a chef's lunch and a private hour on the river. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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